Lifting the Lid... Jolie Box April 2012

Still playing catch-up with my beauty box reviews! Ever other blogger seems so on it when it comes to talking about their beauty boxes but *sigh* not I.

I think I may have to have a beauty box day and bring myself up to speed. But the problem is my goal is to really try out all the products in the boxes which I do like doing, but it takes time!

The Price, Packaging & Jolie Mag

The Jolie Box contains 5-6 deluxe samples and is priced at £12.95 including delivery. Like all the monthly beauty boxes you can cancel at anytime but it does work on a direct debit basis. You can view more info on the box here. As you can see the products come in a matte black box and then in a black pouch which is really handy.

Again I enjoyied looking though the Jolie mag and it's definitely a nice extra that gives you a better feels of the company. I especially enjoyed the sunscreen articles and if it should be in your everyday skincare routine and the interview with Susan Ma was also quite interesting. I also picked up a tip of mixing in Benefit High Beam with foundation to add a dewy glow and I've really been liking that!

Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm (15ml)

(Full Size £20.00/125ml - here)Oh now this is a nice product if you want to cleanse your skin really well but also look after it. You apply the balm to dry skin and massage in, which is really lovely and smells like lemon-y boiled sweets, then you wash the face with warm water which makes the balm smoother to massage in then using a muslin cloth you remove the balm which also removes all the makeup and dirt from the skin. This left my skin feeling clean but also smooth and hydrated. A good cleanse for using in winter for me personally but good for anyone with dry skin all year round.

I always like hair products in beauty boxes but when I looked at this I wasn't to sure what it did. However after reading about it on the Jolie Box website I realised it was for holding the style of the hair when using hot hair tools and it also works as a heat protection against the tool. I use this now when using my Babyliss Wavy Envy to really hold the crimping and I find my hair doesn't drop the style mid-way through the day. It definitely works better than hair spray plus I hate making my hair tacky and hard when I using curling tongs etc. Really enjoyed using this product alot.

Mmmm, this smelt so good. Think coconut and playdoh! Oh yes. Sooo yummy smelling. I really enjoyed using this, so much so I have only used half and I am saving the rest for taking on holiday with me as I can use it on my body and hair. Such a lovely oil, probably the most summery and exotic smelling I have tried which would make it perfect for using in summer or on holiday. I am just sad to see that it retails for so much as I really did want to purchase this, but at £26 I just can't do it!

Wasn't that impressed to see this in the box as I hate tiny samples of moisturisers especially in small little jars that are just awkward to use. So I will admit I haven't even used this. I am sure it's a nice product but for £16 for 30ml I would always go to La Roche Posay or Avene.

I always love to see mascara in beauty boxes - I think it's probably my favourite thing in box to receive in fact as I just always need a new mascara (though I love blushers too in the boxes). This definitely did please as it was really black and didn't clump what so ever. It's still currently my daily mascara that I use because it does the job and doesn't smudge at all. I would actually be tempted to re-purchase this when it runs out.

Postivites

I loved most of the products in the box and felt that I wanted to use them, and wasn't having to use them to get full use out of the Jolie Box.. if that makes sense! Really pleased about the mascara and I was glad I tried out the Coconut oil and Cleansing Balm as they were both lovely products.

Negatives

I was a bit let down when I discovered the price of the Pure Fuji Exotic Oil as the sample bottle looked a little cheap so I was hoping it would be on the mid-price range but sadly that wasn't the case at a whooping £26! Also still don't like little sample pots of skincare... just seems a bit cheap for a box of this standard.

Another nice box from Jolie Box again. Nothing 'wow' but I did enjoy 4 products out of 5 so really cannot complain at all!